Tag Archives: Wells

The arbitrator announced A-Rod’s suspension today, and the reduction wasn’t too much. Instead of 211 games, he gets 162—all of this 2014 season, including the postseason, if the Yanks make it there.

It could be we’ve seen the last of A-Rod, who, if he tries to come back in 2015, would be doing so at age 39 1/2 (he’d turn 40 in July 2015) after missing a full season and after having two hip surgeries. You don’t know… come 2015 the Yanks could just say screw this, we’re sick of it and then eat the final three years of A-Rod’s deal. I hope so. I’m tired of the circus.

Alex will of course fight this, but even if he somehow wins (I can’t see it happening), that “victory” would come when, August?

If this is the end for Alex, he falls a bit short of some milestones. His 654* HR are six short of Willie Mays’ 660 (asterisk intentional), ranking him fifth on the all-time list. The .244 average he put up last year knocked his career average down to .299. He was TWO hits away from having that rounded up to become a .300 hitter. He would end with 2939 hits, 61 short of 3000, and he would end with 1969 RBI—31 short of 2000. Baseball-reference. com lists Aaron, Ruth and Cap Anson as the only three to reach the 2000 RBI plateau, and there are problems with Ruth and Anson. Anson’s first five years, (1871-1875) were in a league not recognized by MLB as being major league. Also, RBIs weren’t an official statistic until 1920, making some of Ruth’s total unofficial. Anyway, you can see what an exclusive club 2000 RBIs are (Barry Bonds finished four short and Gehrig five short).

The Yanks opened up roster space for Matt Thornton yesterday by DFA-ing Vernon Wells. Wells hit .233-11-50 for the Yanks last year, but had just one HR after mid-May.

As for now, the Yanks could do a few things. They could platoon Kelly Johnson and Eduardo Nunez at 3B. They could move the aging (40 in June) Jeter to third because of his diminishing range and play good-field/no-hit Brendan Ryan at short.

I’d rather re-sign Mark Reynolds, who had a brief cameo with the Yanks last year and who wants to return.

A-Rod hit .244-7-19, OPS+ 111 for the Yanks last year. 156 at bats in 44 games. If you multiply that by 3, you’d get 132 games, 468 at bats, about a normal full season for one who turned 38 last July. That means .244-21-57. OPS+ 111. No great shakes. Yes, he was coming off hip surgery, but no great shakes, anyway. Clearly a fading player.

Reynolds, 30, played in 36 games for the Yanks and had 110 at bats. .236-6-19. OPS+ 104. Overall, with Cleveland and the Yanks, he played in 135 games, had 445 at bats and hit .220-21-67, OPS+ 96 with 154 strikeouts. Lower BA and OPS than A-Rod, but power-wise about the same. If he is re-signed, and platooned with Johnson at third, the Yanks could get back some of the power lost by losing A-Rod. Reynolds, being 30, may at this point be a better option than the fading Alex.

Reynolds’ 162-g. average is just .233, but 33 HR and 93 RBI (but 209 K). OPS+ 108. Low average, lot of K’s, but a lot of power potential.

If the Yanks re-sign him, they could put out a lineup that could look like this (assuming Gardner isn’t traded for someone like Homer Bailey):

DH would, of course, need to be rotated between the aging (40 in June) Jeter, the 38-year-old Soriano and Beltran. Kelly Johnson figures in here, platooning with Reynolds (batting 7th) or filling in for Roberts (batting 8th then).

Signing Michael Young is another option, but I’d prefer Reynolds’ power. Young is aging himself. He is 37. One concern going into 2014 was if A-Rod returned, you’d have an old left side of the infield with one guy 40 in June and the other 39 in July. Those concerns would not be alleviated much with a SS 40 in June and a 37 year-old 3B in Young. Young hit .279-8-46 for the Phils and Dodgers last year. He is a true pro, but only had 8 HR for Texas in 2012. His power is fading, unlike Reynolds (whose problems are in meeting the ball). Young’s OPS+ was 102 last year but just an 80 in 2012. A .300 hitter, Young averaged .278-8-56 over the past two years, OPS+ 90.

I like Young, but would rather go for the power potential Reynolds provides as well as the youth. Jeter, Beltran, Soriano and Teixeira are all on the other side of their prime years (the downside), and that isn’t even including Roberts, who hasn’t played much the past four years. Adding more age in Young isn’t the way I’d like to go. I’d rather have Reynolds. We’ll see.

It’s a regular lineup, even though the Yanks have been eliminated. The reason is because Tampa Bay is still fighting for something (#1 WC as opposed to #2). No A-Rod. You wonder if he’ll play at all again this year, and when if at all what with that suspension and the resolution of his appeal.

You may see more of a “spring training” lineup in Houston this weekend. Speaking of, there are rumors that Joe Girardi may give Mariano Rivera his one major league dream: to play one inning in CF. That may happen in Houston this weekend. I just hope Mo doesn’t have to run up that damned hill Houston has in CF.

Girardi’s contract is up and you wonder if he’ll be back.

Yanks 82-76, tied for 3rd, 13.5 out in AL East. Eliminated from WC. (They can only reach 86 wins and Cleveland, in the #2 WC position, already has 88; Tampa, #1 WC has 89, Cleveland 88 and Texas 87.)

The Yanks have a winning season. The last time they had a losing season was 1992. It’s just the second time since 1993 that they have been eliminated from the playoffs. (The 1994 strike kept them out of the playoffs. They had the best record in the AL that year).

They are six games BETTER than their Pythagorean record. They have scored 23 runs LESS than they have allowed this season.

Suzuki RF .262-7-35 20/24 7740 on 10/22. 2740 MLB hits, but do you really want him back in 2014 at $6.5 MM? I don’t, and I LIKE Ichiro.Nunez 3B .260-3-26 10/13 87 in 86 g.Cano 2B .315-27-106 7/8 146 Rumors are he asked the Yanks for 10 yrs and $305 MM. No bloody way do I give him that. Better to finish last and use the $$ saved from NOT signing him to build up the farm system. Yanks apparently offered 8 yr., $138MM, and I don’t like that because it takes him to age 38. He turns 31 on 10/22 (same b/day as Ichiro). I would give him 6 years and $120 MM. I think that is more than fair. $20 MM/yr and doesn’t go past age 36. If he don’t like it, let him walk. This could be his last game in pinstripes.Soriano DH .255-34-101 18/27 112. 406 career HR, one behind Duke Snider on the all-time list. As NYY: 55 g., .256-17-50 8/12 129. 38 next Jan.Granderson CF .234-7-14 7/8 102. Just 57 games. Production down and had the two broken bones. Free agent. This could be his last game in pinstripes.Overbay 1B .241-14-59 1/1 8937 in January. With Teixeira due back next year, probably his last game as a Yankee. Stopgap this year. 5 for his last 39. Almonte LF .258-1-9 3/4 76Good to see him get a look, esp. now that the Yanks are eliminated. 23 for 89. Beats seeing Wells (who I don’t want back in 2014) out there. Wells .237-11-50, 7/10, 76, turns 35 in Dec. Granted the Angels are picking up $18.6 of his $21 MM salary for 2014, but do you really want Wells back next year? I don’t. Since May 15th, Wells hit .204-1-27 and STILL was batting fifth in the lineup vs. lefties this month! Ugh. Ryan SS .201-4-22 4/6 54As NYY .250-1-1 0/0 82. 11 for 44.Murphy C .154-0-0 0/0 4 2 for 13 in MLB career. May as well look at the kid. He is just 22.

Nova RHP 9-5, 3.13 ERA+ 129

Soon, I’ll be writing about 2014 and the prospects for that year (I don’t like them and think the Yanks are in for a dry spell for a few years). I’ll discuss who I want back and who should go.

David Huff gave up a HR to make it 3-0. 3 2/3 (W, 3-1, 5.59), 1 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 3 K.

Brendan Ryan led off the 8th with a ground-rule double. Curtis Granderson singled him to third. After A-Rod struck out, Cano singled in a run. Soriano doubled in a run and then Vernon Wells doubled in two.

David Robertson 2/3, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 2.18.

Mo for the four-out save, getting out of trouble (2 on, no out) in the 9th. 1 1/3, 0 R, 2 H, 0 walks and a K. His 44th save of the year, #652 career. ERA 2.25.

Boxer Ken Norton, Sr. died yesterday at the age of 70. He held a share of the heavyweight title for a short time and is remembered for three fights against Muhammad Ali in the 1970s. Norton won the first one in 1973, breaking Ali’s jaw in the process. He lost in 1973 and also in 1976 (the last one at Yankee Stadium II). He was knocked out in a bout against George Foreman and lost his title in a classic battle against Larry Holmes in 1978.

When you are two games out of a playoff spot with 14 to go, it probably doesn’t help that your starting SS was just acquired days ago (and is hitting under .200 at that) and your starting C is making his first major league start.

It also doesn’t help that a starting OF who has helped to lift you into a possible playoff position is scratched from the lineup at the last moment.

But such was the state of the Yankees yesterday as Alfonso Soriano was scratched at the last minute (bruised thumb), J.R. Murphy got his first major league start and Brendan Ryan started at SS.

Such is also the state that Vernon Wells still actually plays. Wells is now .211-1-24 in 83 games since May 15th. It is not reassuring knowing that he is signed for next year. It’s amazing he hasn’t been cut. It’s all about the $$$$ and how much he is owed. Anyone else would (should?) be gone by now.

The Yanks got just three hits (two by Granderson) in losing to Boston 5-1. With the loss, the Yanks fall 3 back of the Rays with 13 to go in trying to get that last wild card spot. In between are the Indians, who are 1 1/2 back of the Rays.

CC was his 2013 inconsistent, hittable, grossly overpaid CC. He went 6, giving up 5 runs, 9 h, 4 walks and 5 K. He falls to 13-13 (leads Yanks in W and L) and the ERA goes to 4.90. In only the first and sixth innings did he not give up a run. Think of this, CC isn’t showing a much better line than David Phelps’ 6-5, 5.01.

Joba went 1. 0 R, 0 H, 2 walks, 1 K. 4.43.

Matt Daley finished up. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 2 K. 0.00.

The Yanks’s only run came in the fourth when Granderson tripled and scored on an RBI groundout by Cano.

The Yanks’ struggles with Boston continued last night as Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s 7th-inning grand slam beat the Yanks 8-4.

The Yanks are 6-11 vs. Boston this season.

Hiroki Kuroda (L, 11-11, 3.13, deserves a much better record) started and didn’t have it, giving up four runs in the bottom of the first and working his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the second.

Robbie Cano actually bunted against the shift in the bottom of the first and got a double out of it. How I loved seeing the replay on that.

Kuroda went 6+, 5 R, 8 H, 2 walks and 2 K.

The Yanks fought back to tie it up. Light-hitting SS Brendan Ryan, just picked up from Seattle a few days ago, hit his 4th HR of the year to make it 4-1 in the third.

A SF by Overbay cut it to 4-2 in the sixth and Cano’s 2-run double (he was 4 for 4 with 3 doubles) tied it up in the top of the seventh.

Shane Victorino hit a single to start things off for Boston in the bottom of the 7th. A better 3B may have had it. But Nunez was at 3B. Here is where Girardi could be second-guessed for playing Nunez out of position (and Nunez isn’t that great at his regular position, SS).

I was wondering why Reynolds wasn’t at 3B. Esp. since he is more of a threat to hit one over the Green Monster than Nunez is. Not only that, Reynolds is streaky and had just hit 2 HR down in Baltimore. You know what it is like when a streaky HR hitter gets hot. Ride the hot hand. Maybe Reynolds makes the play.

Anyway, Cabral comes in to face Ortiz. Who’d have thought that a rookie, who just made his MLB debut a few weeks ago, would be facing Big Papi in a key spot at this point of the season? Anyway, with Logan unavailable, here you are. He plunked Ortiz.

Claiborne, another rookie, came in and yielded a walk to load the bases before getting a strikeout. But then Saltalamacchia hit a grand slam to make it 8-4. Ballgame.

Cabral 0 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 walks, 0 K. 1 HBP, 1 batter. 5.40.

Claiborne 1 IP, 2 R, 2 H, 1 walk and 2 K. 4.15.

Claiborne since August 2, 11 games: ERA 10.22. Read that again 10.22. In his last three outings, 8 R in 1 2/3 IP.

Matt Daley finished up. 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 0.00.

Vernon Wells didn’t play last night but a stat to throw at you. Since May 15th, he’s hitting .214-1-24. In 82 games. Just the thought of him being under contract in 2014 shouldn’t make you happy. Him and the aging Ichiro (down to .264)? Ugh.

For the second time in a week, the Yankees won on a 9th-inning wild pitch, this time beating Baltimore 6-5.

The game was delayed for about 90 minutes at the start because of rain.

Mark Reynolds hit a 2-run HR (19) in the second to give the Yanks a quick 2-0 lead.

The Yanks went up 4-0 in the third on a bases-loaded single by Vernon Wells.

Phil Hughes gave up a run in the bottom of the third, and when the first batter in the fourth reached on an error, manager Joe Girardi had a quick hook and brought in David Huff.

Hughes went 3+, 1 R, 3 H, 0 walks and 1 K. 5.07.

Granderson hit HR #6 in the top of the seventh to put the Yanks up 5-1, but Huff gave it right back in the bottom of the inning when Nick Markakis homered to make it 5-2.

Huff 3 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 walks, 1 K. 6.04. (Cle/NYY).

Adam Warren 2/3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 walk and 0 K. 3.52.

Cesar Cabral 1/3 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K. 0.00. Who knew that Cabral would be used to get big outs right now when he just recently made his MLB debut? Go figure.

David Robertson blew the lead in the 8th. First off, he was saved by Alfonso Sorano when Soriano took a HR away from Manny Machado. But that relief didn’t last long as Robertson, after striking out Davis for the second out, later gave up two singles and a game-tying 3-run HR to Danny Valencia. He then gave up a double to Hardy but struck out Wieters to end the inning.

1 IP, 3 R, 4 H, 0 walks and 2 K. 2.24.

In the top of the 9th, newly acquired SS Brendan Ryan (not eligible for the postseason if there is one for the Yankees) singled. Stewart bunted and pitcher Jim Johnson’s throw in trying for the force on Ryan was bad. All safe. Granderson bunted both runners over and a wild pitch scored Ryan with the eventual game-winning run.

Mo came in and had a 1-2-3 9th. 1 Ip, 0 R, 0 h, 0 walks and 0 K. 2.30.

The win came down to an official scorer’s decision. Because of Robertson’s ineffectiveness, the official scorer didn’t give the W to Robertson but rewarded it to Mo (6-2) instead.

The Yanks stay 1 game behind the Rays for the second wild-card slot.

Meanwhile, Brett Gardner had to leave the game after his at bat in the top of the first with an oblique strain. He could be done for the year now, too.

The Yanks need to win every game they can right now. Going into this evening, they were 2 1/2 behind for the last wild card spot, 25 games to go and they have to jump over a couple of teams.

Which is why losing 4-1 in the bottom of the 8th to the White Sox looked so bleak. But the Yanks got five in that inning to pull out a BIG 6-4 win.

Chicago got a run in the first, and the Yanks tied it in the 2nd on a double steal. Nunez swiped second while Wells stole home.

Chicago got a 2-run triple by Alexei Ramirez in the fifth to go up 3-1. De Aza’s HR made in 4-1 in the 7th.

In the 8th, after Gardner struck out, Jeter got hit #2 of the night and #3315 of his career. MLB states that he passed Eddie Collins on the all-time list. BaseballReference has him tying Collins. Those old-time (Collins 1906-1930) players stats have discrepanices. Boxscores weren’t that accurate back then. Anyway, Jeter is now 4 behind Paul Molitor on the all-time list. MLB has Derek 9th on the hits list and soon he’ll pass Molitor for 8th.

Cano doubled. Soriano singled to make it 4-3 and A-Rod singled. Granderson’s PH single tied it up and after Reynolds struck out, Nunez doubled in two to make it 6-4.

Kuroda 6 1/3, 4 R, 7 H, 2 walks and 7 K. 2.99.

Claiborne (just back) 2/3, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 0 K. 2.74.

Logan 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks, 1 K. (W, 5-2, 3.08).

Mo the save. #40 on the season, #648 for his career. 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 walks and 2 K. A 1-2-3 inning that lowers his ERA to 2.12.

It is the 9th time in his career that Mo has saved 40 games in a season. And this year, at age 43… and he is only a few months away from 44 years old.